the woodcutter...

One day a woodcutter took his grandson into the forest for his first experience in selecting and cutting oak trees. These, they would later sell to the boat builders.

As they walked along, the woodcutter explained that the purpose of each tree is contained in its natural shape: some are straight for planks, some have the proper curves for the ribs of a boat, and some are tall for masts.

The woodcutter told his grandson that by paying attention to the details of each tree, and with experience in recognizing these characteristics, someday he too might become the woodcutter of the forest. A little way into the forest, the grandson saw an old oak tree that had never been cut. The boy asked his grandfather if he could cut it down because it was useless for boat building- there were no straight limbs, the trunk was, short and gnarled, and the curves were going the wrong way. 

“We could cut it down for firewood”, the grandson said.

“At least then it will be of some use to us.”

 

The woodcutter replied that for now they should be about their work, cutting the proper trees for the boat builders; maybe later they could return to the old oak tree. After a few hours of cutting the huge trees, the grandson grew tired and asked if they could stop for a rest. The woodcutter graciously obliged and sat down with his grandson in some shade. After they had rested a while, the woodcutter explained to his grandson the necessity of attentive awareness and recognition of everything in the forest and in the world. Some things are readily apparent, like the tall, straight trees; other things are less apparent, requiring closer attention, like recognition of the proper curves in the limbs.

And some things might initially appear to have no purpose at all, but until you sit in its’ shade do you find its’ purpose, like the gnarled old oak tree. 

the poor little mouse...

There was once a little rodent, he was a mouse

One that lived blissfully, he lived in a house

It was in that house, where he stayed in a room

One slight danger, the soft brush of a broom

Why stay in one room, when you have a whole house?

For is there such a thing as an unadventurous mouse?

The room was big, beautiful, and quaint

The mouse could run til he felt faint

Couches, chairs, dressers, and drawers

Tables, lights, windows, and doors

For if there was anything a mouse wanted, it was here

In this room filled with laughter and cheer

He had to be careful and watch for the shoes

But he loved the company and the fire’s hues

He was drawn to motion that occurred in his space

Always on the go, it was a special place

From gathering crumbs, to running flat out

This was what this room was about

So why stay in one room, when you have a whole house?

“Well why go anywhere else”, thought the mouse?

“It is this action, I want to be near

So for now I think I will stay right here”

The mouse remained for a while til one day he awoke

To loud noises, and out of his hole he was provoked

He scampered on out and to his dismay

A once bright and beautiful room, turned grey

He ran to and fro and looked all about

The room was empty, the furniture moved out

The windows were covered and the doors were shut

The mouse got a very sick feeling, in his gut

"What shall I do, where should I go?

For it is only inside this room that I know?"

The mouse pondered a minute then decided to lay

In the middle of the room where he used to play

It was there that he sat, and started to weep

He wept a while, til he went to sleep

One eye opened slightly, and the other did too

Another morning, with nothing to do

So what does one do in a room in a house?

That has nothing in it, except a little ole mouse?

Surrounded by nothing, lonely as can be

The little mouse looked up, and what did he see?

He saw a sign above the door’s crest

That said, “Beware, Vermin and Pests”.

Another sick feeling, came to his gut

His eyes once open, but now shut

The room was empty, and who was to blame?

The mouse knew it was he, and he lay there ashamed

There he lay in an empty room and vacant house

And that is the story of the poor little mouse…

Rain comes down...

On the brink of the unknown, when the gun goes off will you be caught on the blocks… or will you find yourself trying to swim?

Pitter pit pat, the rain falls down

Gray clouds congest the sky

Water falls from heaven to the ground

And to think we have no clue why

A brisk wind breaks across my face

And from puddle to puddle I keep on

A rainy day, a common disgrace

but I pushed forward strong

I expected differently from my state

But a simple smile shone through

Satisfied with what is upon my plate

Still left, not sure of what to do

Trying out trust, is a foreign concept to me

But an effort that must be made

Just like the small plants extend their leaves

To absorb the water with each blade

I walked with a beat I did, a casual stride

A dreary day it was, but my head held high

“I can handle this trust thing”, everything else aside

He is looking out for me, a fact I cannot deny

My feelings are liable to change day by day

But I must rely on what I know

Remembering, He is the way

because the Bible tells me so

There is peace in this trust I cannot explain

One that permits an effulgent smile

A peace, like the soft fall of rain

Present even in great trial

And so with the drop of rain atop my head

A gleam of hope appears

Excited for what is ahead

In the coming years

Rain still falls, with the same ole sound

with clouds that plaster the sky

But with the rain blessings come down

And to think we have know clue why

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

~Maya Angelou

mis rec di tion

“Misdirection is the key element. We can create a space where we give them something to look at to take their mind away from what they really should be seeing.” ~Chris Conti

The story is told of Mr. Dowd. He started on his way down the street, when all of a sudden he heard a voice that said: “Good evening, Mr. Dowd.’ He turned, and there was a big white rabbit leaning against a lamppost. Well, He did not think much of it, because when you have lived in a town as long as he had lived in this town, you get used to the fact that everybody knows your name.”

Now this is a somewhat comical way to illustrate a much deeper concept. The humor of this story comes by way of misdirection. In the presentation of said story I would imagine the storyteller pauses after the introduction of the rabbit leaning on the lamppost. The audience is then filled with suspense. What is going to happen with this big rabbit? This is the pump fake, or the catch if you will. The storyteller creates a non-reality scenario to peak your attention and then intentionally does not address it; in lies the humor.

It is brilliant if you think about it. All the time and effort that goes into perfect on-stage execution.

Misdirection is commonly used in comedy but I would argue that it finds its niche in the world of magic and illusion. To adequately understand “misdirection” first imagine as if you are the one witnessing the misdirection. The magician tells you to look and then points, so you look. Your focus is then misdirected. Quite technically, your focus has been directed elsewhere not misdirected. The only reason it is considered “misdirection” is because you “missed” the action (in this case the revealing action of the trick).

Thus we can conclude that misdirection is really another form of direction. This becomes more clear when you think of it from the magician’s standpoint. Same scenario lets say you, as the magician need the audience to look away from your left hand. You do not think, how can I misdirect their attention from my left hand, rather you think, how can I direct their attention to my right. You must separate the two actions in order to simplify the trick’s execution; a slight nuance, but one with significant results.

Misdirection can be summed up as getting the audience to look in the wrong place at the right time.

You may be wondering did he really mean to introduce the story with a big rabbit and then talk about magicians (ironically a thought that only occurred to me now)?? Or you might be thinking where is he possibly going?

Well, what if I were to tell you that you are a MASTER at misdirection? Would you believe me?

Possibly?

Perhaps several examples… Can you think back to a time in your life where you absolutely convinced yourself of something that was not plausible? Like back in the day when you use to check your closet for monsters before bed. Did you ever lie down and convince yourself there is no way there is a monster in your closet by thinking or concentrating on something else? How is this misdirection you may ask?? To blind yourself from what is causing you to be fearful you distract, or more precisely, misdirect your thoughts from what is causing the fear. 

Or have you ever continued in a wrong action long enough that you learned how to justify it in your mind? You might ask, how is that misdirection? Well, we learn how to “direct” our attention to our justification rather than focus on the “wrong” that we clearly and quite obviously wanted to avoid.

These are two minor examples of misdirection that we commonly see in our lives.

Misdirection can even be seen in the Scriptures…

Jesus in John chapter 5 because talking to these Jewish leaders that have been heckling him about the laws of the Sabbath. He begins telling them about the authority of the Son of Man (something the Jewish culture still does not accept). He starts a beautiful discourse, but remember whom he is talking to. He is not talking to laymen, or ignorant men, he is talking to religiously educated individuals who know the law and the scriptures well. It is in the middle of this discourse that He openly reveals a commonly practiced misdirection.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” John 5:39-40

Is it possible that we, even today, can separate something that is so intimately connected, Scripture and Jesus?

Jesus clearly states that the Scriptures do not in and of themselves contain Eternal Life. They are not an end; they are a means to an end. The Scriptures are there so that me may come to know the Almighty God.

May it be that we do not fall into this misdirection. May we see the importance of the Scriptures as becoming closer to the One who inspired them; and may our minds always be completely and utterly directed upon Him.

Why??

“There are two great days in a person’s life; the day we are born and the day we discover why.” ~William Barclay

Recently, I have had the pleasure of being around kids. I have never regarded myself as a “kid person” or one that works well with kids, but lately I have found something out. First, you must get down to their eye level, then you must ask as many questions as possible about them. The world will then open up and Beautiful smiles will glow. In my recent discovery I have found that there is a stage kids go through where they cannot stop asking “why?” This may seem annoying to those of us who know, but for them it is a simple one-word question to tap into the world of the unknown.

The story is told of a wealthy man who approaches the great teacher. He says, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit the Kingdom of God?” Have you ever wondered about Jesus’ reply? He did not address the question asked, rather he goes straight to the core. He says, “Why is it that you call me good?” Jesus realized something that the man did not. Jesus knows the heart. Jesus knows why! Jesus finally answers the man’s question, however the wealthy man is dissatisfied. He says, I have done all those things even from my youth. Jesus replies, “Go and sell all that you own and come follow me”. This was the answer to his question. Why then did he walk away? It was apparent to Jesus that the man approached the Heavenly Gates with a selfish motive. This is implied in his greeting, “Good Teacher”. He was not interested in selling all HIS possessions, but he was looking to add another, Eternal Life. This example shows why “why” matters.

There is an ongoing Theological debate (Stay with me now). Are we sinners because we sin, or do we sin because we are sinners (the nuance is slight, but take a second and soak in the ramifications for both ideas).

1)                   Essentially, the first listed above takes the position of Sin as an action. We are perfectly capable of not sinning. There is nothing in our makeup or history that causes a predisposition to sin.

2)                   Now the second accepts sin as a condition, a state of being if you will. We were born with the inclination to sin. Our very makeup and operating abilities have been tainted.

Now before you pick either side and deem the other to complete stupidity, think about them carefully. Each can be supported Biblically and neither is explicitly mentioned as better than the other. However, it appears that they are indeed in contrast, thus the debate right? Wrong! Both are dealing with the issue of WHY we sin? However, I would attest that they are searching for answers of “why” that cannot be given, and do not need to be.

           

            NOTE:At this point, it is important to note that I am not speaking about all the questions why? There are some questions we are not supposed to know the answers to. I am more or less talking about questioning ourselves. Questioning our motivations as to why we act a certain way and not just             letting the actions stand-alone. (Essentially the Mistake of the Rich Young Ruler)

Both arguments are dealing with why we sin? I do not think this is the main issue. We all sin. That is the reality of the matter. We all have sinned, sin, and will sin. Whether I sin because I am predisposed to do so or because I make the choice is rather irrelevant seeing as how one time or another I have signed. We know the Bible teaches that all sin is punishable only by death. Asking whether we sin because of predisposition or because of choice is ignoring the inevitable, either way, we've sinned and we deserve death.

We are not dealing with an argument of condition or an argument of action, we are dealing with Ownership. I will not dwell on this point for it is for another blog but I can’t resist, who do you belong to?

THE BOTTOMLINE: We need to evaluate our motives no matter how noble the action, because if our hearts are in the wrong place, our action is tainted.

It was apparent in the above example of the rich young ruler; a man who had a selfish motive and also selfish action.

It gets much more complicated with a wrong motivation followed by a “right” action. The only determining factor in said situation is the self-reflective question “why”. I cannot answer why you did something, for I am not you. Conversely, you cannot answer why I do what I do for you are not me. This is why we must take responsibility for our own actions. We must reflect upon ourselves and most importantly, be honest with ourselves.

For example, lets say that you log onto Facebook and you find a page that has been uploaded to help raise money for a girl who has been diagnosed with cancer. This would be a worthy cause? Anyone who posted this is participating in a good cause? However, what if you were to find out that it was all a hoax and she did it for the money?

Right Action, Wrong Motivation. Actually, can there be right action with wrong motivation?

This is why “why” matters…  Jesus says you shall know a tree by its fruits… We often use this as an excuse to look at other’s fruit and try to determine who they are. We don’t often evaluate our own fruit and measure whether it correctly reflects who we are. In Jeremiah, it says our hearts our deceitful. Whereas Jesus said, you may know a tree by its fruits our hearts have hindered our ability to see that connection.

What is your motivation? Why do you do the things that you do?

the rosebud...

A new minister was walking with an older,

More seasoned minister in the garden one day.

Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older

Preacher for some advice.

The  older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older

Preacher and was trying to figure out what a

Rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting

To know the will of God for his life and ministry

But because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rose,

While keeping every petal intact.

It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher’s inability to unfold

The rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem…

“It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God’s design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.

The Secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

God opens this flower so easily,

But in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God’s design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I’ll trust in God for leading

Each moment of my day,

I will look to God for guidance

In each step along the way.

The path that lies before me,

Only my Lord and Savior knows,

I’ll trust God to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose”

an earnest prayer...

There is a desire in my heart, a want in my soul

Aching for a new start, yearning to be made whole

For I have come a long way, and have yet far to go

Arrived at points I wished to stay, proceeding with the future I do not know

I have stopped many times to reflect, to see of all that I have become

Only to see a life full of neglect, and evil desires to which I’ve succumb

I have little to show for my years, a little good, some bad, and a lot of fears

A lot of happiness and also tears, many compliments and many jeers

For I have lived a common life, similar to what many will

The ebb and flow of harmony and strife, but here I sit… still

For what does this all mean? What is the purpose of this?

I lose sight of the faint gleam, I get lost in this worlds abyss

I cease to make a difference, to the start I have come once more

Now I come in humble deference, seeking for you to restore

Over and over I come, to the same spot at which I began

Desiring more and more to be done, realizing it must be done again

“Vanity is Vanity” is what the scholar said, I simply don’t understand

Sanity oh Sanity in vanities stead, Father guide me with your hand

For I have lost sight of the goal, the prize faded from mind’s eye

The very thing to make me whole, your Son, crucified

For too long I have strayed, far too long I have roamed

For this to you, I solemnly pray, Lord, bring me home!

...The inkless pen...

Right off you may be wondering, what is with the title, “The inkless pen”? Obviously there is something that has to be said (the whole point of a blog if you think about it), which would nullify such a thing as an “inkless” pen. This argument would find my agreement.

However…

There is a profound reason for this title… This is a stated realization that I, in myself, have nothing to say that has not already been said. The words I place on this page are a mere rephrasing of what men have uttered for a lifetime.

In the words of Rabbi Shapiro, we don’t really own anything. Not even our own words. Those words were neatly packaged to us through what we know of as the English language. However, it was given to us, not originated by us. Even what we say is not our own.

So following this line of logic, I have nothing original to say… My voice is indebted to those that have come before me… and I pray that my voice will be heard by those who follow…

For words are written down on a page, to create a story within

to start such a story, how does one begin

an impossible measure, the opportunities have no end

and to start such a story, with an inkless pen…